Denver Drain Cleaning

This is the first question we ask, because the answer changes the job entirely. One slow fixture with everything else draining normally points at a local clog in that fixture branch, which is usually a short job. Several fixtures backing up together, or the lowest drains in the house gurgling when you run water upstairs, points at the main line instead. Clearing a branch when the main is the problem buys you a few days and solves nothing.

A clog that returns is telling you the line has a defect rather than a blockage. Common causes in Denver are tree roots at a joint in clay sewer pipe, scale and corrosion narrowing old cast iron, a belly where the pipe has settled and holds water, or a section that has shifted out of grade. Cabling clears the obstruction but not the cause, which is why we put a camera down the line when a clog has come back rather than selling you the same visit again.

We would rather you did not. Chemical cleaners generate heat and can soften PVC, corrode older metal pipe, and damage the rubber seals in your traps. They rarely clear a main line, and when they fail the caustic liquid is still standing in the pipe when a plumber opens it. If you have already used one, tell us before we start so we can protect ourselves and your fixtures.

Cabling, also called snaking, drives a rotating cable down the line to punch through or cut out the obstruction. It is fast, effective for most clogs, and gentle enough for older pipe. Hydro jetting uses high pressure water to scour the full inner wall of the line, which is what you want for grease build up in a kitchen line or fine root hair across a long run. Jetting is more thorough and is not suitable for every pipe, so we camera the line first rather than assuming.

Yes, on any recurring clog or any main line problem where a repair is on the table. Nobody should agree to a sewer repair based on a description. A camera shows the material the pipe is made of, where the defect sits, how deep it is, and how far from the cleanout, and you see the same screen we do.

They clear the toilet and then they stop. Unlike toilet paper, they do not break apart in water, so they snag on any roughness in the line, collect grease, and build into a mass that blocks the pipe. They are one of the most common causes of main line blockages we clear. The same applies to paper towels, cotton pads, dental floss and cat litter.

Much of the older housing stock in Capitol Hill, Congress Park, Washington Park, Baker and the Highlands was built with clay sewer pipe laid in short sections. Every joint is a seam, and a seam that weeps moisture attracts roots from the mature trees those neighborhoods are known for. Once a root finds the joint it grows inside the pipe where the water is. Cutting the roots restores flow, and a camera tells you whether the joint itself now needs repair.

Four things move the number. Whether the problem is a fixture branch or the main line. Whether there is an accessible cleanout, since without one we have to pull a toilet or access the line another way. The method the line actually needs, since cabling and hydro jetting are different jobs. And whether a camera inspection is warranted, which it is on any recurring clog. We confirm all four on site and put the price in writing before any work begins.

No. Clearing a drain is maintenance and does not require a permit. Repairing or replacing a section of sewer or drain pipe does, and work on the sewer service outside the building is coordinated with the local jurisdiction. We will tell you clearly which side of that line your job falls on before we start.

A healthy line in a modern home does not need scheduled cleaning. Older homes with clay sewer pipe and mature trees are a different case, and where we have found active root intrusion we will tell you honestly what interval makes sense for your line rather than putting every customer on the same schedule.